Personal Injury Protection

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance covers medical expenses and lost wages for you and any passengers in your vehicle who are injured in an auto accident. It can essentially be thought of as an extension of car insurance that covers the medical expenses and often lost wages no matter who is at fault. That’s right, through your Oregon Personal Injury Protection you will receive the maximum benefits weather you were at fault or not and can even cover expenses like transportation to medical appointments, lawn repair and more!

PIP will also pay for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses, co-pays, out-of-pocket prescription costs, and other similar costs.

Personal Injury Protection Throughout The US

PIP is currently mandatory in 16 states and many states have put personal injury protection laws in place in order to limit the number of lawsuits filed in accidents in order to get compensation for injuries. The personal injury protection laws have freed up the courts in many cases but many still feel that their rights to file a lawsuits have been diminished by the law. Most states have followed with a subsidiary law that allows drivers to bring a lawsuit in certain circumstances.

These circumstances create personal injury protection laws that vary in each state. For instance even what is covered from state to state can vary; such as, acupuncture will qualify as a medical treatment in Utah while not in California.

Personal Injury Protection in Oregon

Some states have PIP and some do not but every auto policy in Oregon has personal injury protection coverage coverage. Under Oregon law, the minimum required coverage is $15,000 for medical expenses for up to one year. In addition, if your injury forces you to miss 14 consecutive days of work, PIP will pay for 70% of your lost income up to $3,000 a month, for up to 52 weeks. The remaining lost income can be recovered from the at-fault party’s insurance at the end of the case.

Limitations of Personal Injury Protection in Oregon

Filing a claim for PIP coverage and receiving PIP benefits does not prevent a subsequent claim for personal injury arising out of the same collision.

Insurance companies will deny medical bills for treatment it believes is either excessive or not related to the accident. PIP Claimants are sometimes sent to an insurance company doctor for what they call an “Independent Medical Examination.” These doctors are rarely impartial or independent. They will typically write a report saying that your current treatment is not necessary or related to your accident.

When insurance companies cut off your PIP coverage after an “Independent Medical Exam,” there are still several options to have coverage extended. The main option is to demand binding arbitration proceedings against the PIP insurer. At arbitration you can use your own doctors’ testimony to dispute the insurance doctors’ findings. Over the years we have had great success in getting PIP insurance coverage extended through arbitration proceedings. Ryan Hilts is a personal injury lawyer in Lake Oswego and Portland area. For more information, contact Ryan today.

Featured Services

Personal Injury
We take the stress out of personal injury cases so you can focus on getting better. Call today for a free consultation.

Car Accidents
We specialize in auto accident cases. We stand up to insurance companies to get you the compensation you deserve.

I was involved in a personal accident case where the insurance company denied responsibility for nearly two years and we eventually had to go to trial. Ryan helped me through the whole process, answering my questions and keeping me informed as to what was next in the process. My first recommendation is to never get involved in an accident but if you are and an insurance company is trying to treat you unfairly, contact Ryan and he will make sure you’re informed about your rights and your best course of action. Can’t imagine where I’d be in this process without his expertise. Thanks again Ryan.

J.H.

I was recommended to Mr. Hilts by a friend when I had my car accident. I was very impressed with his knowledge and the way he guided me through the process. I appreciated that he always returned my calls and kept me informed about the progress of my case.

K.J.

I could never say enough good things about Ryan. He was always there to take my calls and answer all of my questions. I really felt like he was working for me; like I was his top priority.

J.H.

Ryan is a terrific lawyer and a better person. He went above and beyond to reach a settlement in my case and believed in it when no one else did. He’s very intelligent and caring and is always putting the best interests of his clients before his own. Ryan knew more about my case than I even did. He is truly dedicated to his clients, and I can not explain how much I honestly appreciated that. I recommend that you give him a shot if you need to hire an attorney. He won’t let you down.

S.S.

It was our good fortune to have Ryan Hilts as our attorney. Ryan helped our children avoid a lawsuit and get a successful settlement. He taught us so much. He represented our family with integrity.